Ensure VS Code Desktop can reconnect to workspace after timeout

[tysonrm]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe

Yes, having selected local IDE, when workspace times out, IDE can't reconnect (because it doesn't know to restart the workspace.)

Describe the behaviour you'd like

A customization to VSCode and other popular IDEs that restarts the workspace before attempting to reconnect to it.

Describe alternatives you've considered

A ping to prevent the workspace from timing out.

I'm very busy but it might be worth it to contribute if I get some guidance on this. Love your platform. Excellent work!

Additional context

[iojcde]

A solution to this issue may be something where a dialog pops up when a workspace times out, similar to how GitHub Codespaces does it.

Just having a button to restart the workspace easily would be great (#4782 may be related to this solution).

[loujaybee]

Thanks for raising @tysonrm ! 🙏

It won't be solved by, but relates to:

• Epic: User Configurable Workspace Timeouts (CLI command + user preference) #9038

[tysonrm]

A potential solution: intercept ssh requests in k8 ingress controller, check/restart targeted workspace, foward ssh.

[narkeeso]

Is there a workaround for this for now? Is there a way to extract the password from the new workspace link and then give it to vscode to just resume?

[david-bakin]

Is there a workaround for this for now? Is there a way to extract the password from the new workspace link and then give it to vscode to just resume?

I tried getting the password out of the ssh link from the dashboard and providing that to the dialog asking for the password - but it didn't work. In fact, it looked from the prompt in the dialog that somehow the password (or what I thought was the password, between # and @) was incorporated into the ssh remote extension's idea of the hostname. I'd really like to be able to do this.

[jeanp413]

@narkeeso @david-bakin with pre-release version of gitpod-desktop extension and configuring your ssh keys in Gitpod it won't ask you for a password anymore when reconnecting after a workspace restart

[david-bakin]

@narkeeso @david-bakin with pre-release version of gitpod-desktop extension and configuring your ssh keys in Gitpod it won't ask you for a password anymore when reconnecting after a workspace restart

@jeanp413 - Took me a second to figure it out - you still get a "enter your password" prompt at the top of VSCode but you ignore it and click the "Reload Window" button down at the bottom right - and your restarted workspace hooks right up. 👍

[jeanp413]

you still get a "enter your password" prompt at the top of VSCode

Good catch @david-bakin I created an issue for that bug #11428

[loujaybee]

As @jeanp413 mentioned, if you're using the SSH Gateway with an uploaded SSH key VS Code should be able to reconnect when you start / restart the workspace (see: related docs).

To configure:

1. Set gitpod.remote.useLocalApp to false in your settings
2. Upload an SSH Key to Gitpod

This doesn't entirely solve the problem as you'll still have to go to the workspace stop page or dashboard to restart the workspace, and it indeed would be nice if VS Code could wake up your workspace for you. However, I think the other suggestions are captured in:

Prompt for users when workspace stopping:

• Workspace "about to" timeout prompt  #11263

Ensure user can restart workspace from within VS Code:

• Epic: Restart workspaces directly from VS Code Desktop #9221

So I will close this issue 🙏

[iojcde]

Still doesn't work when the cluster changes :(

[loujaybee]

Still doesn't work when the cluster changes :(

Hey @iojcde thanks for raising the feedback

Cluster name changes is a known current limitation, and is raised here:

• Simplify SSH host - for memorising, constructing from URL, and pasting into SSH clients #11355

If you have any other thoughts, would like to track the issue or upvote to raise more visibility 🙏